Although many breakthroughs have been made in cardiovascular medicine, heart disease remains a leading health issue. Despite successful approaches to prevent or retard cardiovascular diseases, it is still very difficult to restore heart function once lost. The recent advances in stem cell research have shown that cells in vital organs, including the heart, can be regenerated. Currently, there are two primary ways of accessing the heart: through a sternotomy or via subxiphoid approach.
A sternotomy, the more traditional approach is used with patients requiring surgery in addition to stem cell therapy. For patients only requiring stem cell therapy, the sub-xiphoid approach is used but tends to be inefficient due to limited visibility and the small workspace. An improved, minimally invasive device, which can safely inject stem cells on the surface of a beating heart, is desirable.